15 July 2021
South Africa: Zuma riots: 117 dead, 2,000 arrests and counting.
BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 15:51
Ethiopia: Troops are being mobilised in Oromia, Sidama, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) regions for fighting in Tigray. Authorities in Amhara region have yesterday Wednesday announced an offensive and called up retired soldiers and local militias.
BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 11:05
And also: BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 4:36
Sierra Leone/Gender-based violence: A project in the north of the country, in Bombali District, set out to use comedy, theatre and dance as tools for understanding and for creating spaces for discussion for victims of sexual and gender-based violence – topics women do not talk about easily. And it worked very well. The authors of the article conclude: “The most common and pervasive forms of pain in the everyday lives of Sierra Leone women require attention from local officials and policymakers. The insidious nature and general ‘acceptability’ of these acts is precisely what makes them so scary, and in need of being addressed.”
https://theconversation.com/we-used-performing-arts-to-map-out-gender-violence-in-sierra-leone-what-we-found-164167
Eswatini: After the protests that left at least 50 dead, the king has finally reacted and invited everybody to discussions tomorrow Friday at his Ludzidzini royal palace. But “activists are not planning to attend the open forum and have planned a march on the same day”.
BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 8:50
Algeria: Ahead of Eid ul-Adha, the President has pardoned 101 jailed for political protests.
BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 15:08
Lake Chad Basin/Terrorism: Abubakar Shekau’s death, which has given has given ISWAP access to more territory, fighters and weapons “could allow Islamic State (IS) to consolidate its position in the region through its local affiliate, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).” It will set up four caliphates. Some former Boko Haram fighters who had left for Libya are reported to be returning to the Lake Chad Basin to rejoin ISWAP. IS pushes for reforms within ISWAP. To secure fighters’ loyalty, they need to be treated fairly by commanders and their economic incentives must be increased. Concerning civilians, their livelihoods need to be protected and supported in areas IS controls. To counter terrorism, states must have a new look at their “contracts with the people”, “there must be credible and better alternatives to what the (terrorist) group is offering to win the hearts and minds of civilians.”
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/islamic-state-fortifies-its-position-in-the-lake-chad-basin
Nigeria: More than 1,000 who had been suspected of being Boko Haram members and who have undergone a rigorous profiling process clearing them of having links with Boko Haram have been “handed over to the civilian authorities for release. It is not clear how long they had spent in military detention.”
BBC Africa Live 15 July 2021. 18:14
14 July 2021
South Africa: 10 times more soldiers will be deployed to deal with riots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, 25,000 instead of the original 2,500. By now, “(t)ens of thousands of businesses have been ransacked”. According to the latest figures, at least 72 people have so far died in the riots, 45 in Gauteng and 27 in KwaZulu-Natal.
BBC Africa Live 14 July 2021. 17:17
And also: https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1203340/politique/afrique-du-sud-72-morts-dans-des-violences-selon-un-nouveau-bilan/
Somalia: MP Fawzia Yusuf Adam is the first woman to declare her candidacy for the 10 October presidential elections. The former deputy prime minister and former foreign affairs minister promises to “breathe a new lease of life into Somalia”.
BBC Africa Live 14 July 2021. 13:06